CORPORAL FREDERICK CHARLES CLARK

Service: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Hampshire Regiment
Service No: 8596 Date & place of birth: 1890 in Eastbourne, Sussex Date & place of death: 28 April 1915 in Gallipoli

Frederick Clark was born in Eastbourne but by 1901 he was living at Sandhill, Rogate with his parents, two brothers and paternal grandmother.

Family background

Frederick Charles Clark was born in Eastbourne in 1890. He was the eldest of three sons of Frederick Clark, who was born in Middlesex, a coachman/groom, and his wife Ann, who was born in Rogate.

In 1901 the family lived at Sandhill close to Mizzards Farm. Frederick Clark [senior] was a groom/gardener while Frederick Charles was at school. The youngest son William [aged 8] had been born in Brighton so it is possible the family lived there for a time after moving from Eastbourne and before coming to Rogate.

By 1911 Frederick Charles had joined the 2nd Battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment. His parents and younger brother Samuel had moved to Nyewood and both father and son were employed as jobbing gardeners.

Military Service

Frederick enlisted in Winchester into the 2nd Battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment sometime before 1911 as on the date of the Census in April of that year he was with the Regiment either in South Africa or Mauritus. In 1911 the Regiment transferred from South Africa, where it had been since 1907, to Mauritus. Later, in 1913, the Regiment moved to Mhow in India before returning home in 1914, arriving in Plymouth on 22 December. It then moved to Romsey before going to Stratford-on-Avon on 13 February 1915 where it joined the 88th Brigade of the 29th Division before moving to Warwick.

Death & Commemoration

On 29 March 1915 the Regiment mobilised for war and embarked for Gallipoli from Avonmouth via Alexandria. On 25 April the Regiment landed at Gallipoli and Frederick was killed three days later. His final resting place is unknown.

Frederick Charles Clark is commemorated on the Helles Memorial at Canakkale, Turkey and on Rogate war memorial.

News

Click heading to see an analysis of the ages of the casualties, their family status, the forces in which they served, their ranks and the theatre of war and year in which they died.

Following consultation in Graffham and East Lavington, Penny Holland is researching the World War 1 casualties on the Graffham & East Lavington war memorial. Their stories are being added to this website as they are completed.

Iping & Chithurst and Stedham war memorials have recently been completed. Rogate should be completed shortly.

Commemorative events

Cocking

David Earley displayed the results of his extensive researches in an exhibition in Cocking Village Hall on 2/3 August. Photo by Jeffery Mableson

Lodsworth

A display in St Peter's church, Lodsworth was organised by Ian Buckingham for a commemorative event, with readings by Charles Dance, Geraldine James and Honeysuckle Weeks, and with Robert Vanryne on trumpet. The Book of Remembrance will remain permanently in the church.

Midhurst

Penny Holland, Sarah White, Pat and Roy Bryant compiled a Book of Remembrance for Midhurst Museum to include in its WW1 exhibition which was open throughout August.

Petworth

An exhibition in St Mary's Church, Petworth commemorated the casualties of World War 1. Medals, photos and other memorabilia were on display, along with stories of the 75 men of Petworth killed in the War. The research for these stories was by Kate and Nigel Flynn.

Rogate

Malcolm Hutchings has arranged for the village to commemorate those named on its war memorial by including their stories in the parish magazine on the 100th anniversary of each death.

Midhurst U3A WW1 War Memorial Project

The project

This is the website of a team from Midhurst U3A which is researching the family backgrounds, military service and deaths of the people who appear on local war memorials. We started with the parishes of Bepton, Cocking, Lodsworth, Midhurst, Petworth, Rogate and West Lavington, and have since added Elsted & Treyford, Graffham & East Lavington, Heyshott, Iping & Chithurst, Selham, Stedham and Trotton. The first phase of the project was completed in time for the centenary of the start of WW1, but our work continues!

Midhurst U3A

Midhurst U3A is one of over 900 U3As across the UK, each affiliated to the Third Age Trust. Our U3A exists for the benefit of those, no longer in full time employment, who wish to learn and keep active. Members share their knowledge and experience, and participate in a wide range of educational, creative and leisure activities.

Your historical records

Do you have historical material that might be of interest to our project? If so, please contact us so that we can discuss whether to add it to our archives and/or this website.

Copyright & Privacy

There is a possibility that some of the photographs or other material in this community website are subject to copyright or are considered private. If this is so, please let us know and we will amend or remove the material.